Switches

1. Designing a Redundant Campus Core with Cisco Catalyst 9500/9600 and Fortinet Firewalls Architectural Options Beyond Simple Stacking
   Selene Gong

   39
   Designing a campus core is a long-term decision. For most enterprises, a core built on Cisco Catalyst 9500 or 9600 is expected to remain in service for five to eight years, survive multiple software upgrades, and tolerate both planned and unplanned failures. The most common default approach is ...
2. When to Route on Core Switches vs Next-Gen Firewalls in Enterprise Networks
   Selene Gong

   36
   For enterprise network architects and senior infrastructure engineers, determining where Layer 3 routing logic should reside—on the core switch or the Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW)—is a foundational design decision. A misstep here can either cripple network performance with unnecessary ...
3. Dell Switch Serial Number Lookup: Simplify Lifecycle Management and Upgrade Planning
   Selene Gong

   37
   For IT Managers and Network Administrators, managing a large-scale, multi-site network is a daily challenge. With dozens or even hundreds of Dell switches deployed, tracking each device’s serial number, warranty status, and End-of-Life (EoL) timeline can quickly become overwhelming. Manual ...
4. The Ultimate Guide to the Best Enterprise Access Switches in 2026
   Selene Gong

   34
   For modern enterprises, the access layer is where users, devices, and critical network services meet. Enterprise access switches handle day-to-day operations—high-density Wi-Fi, video conferencing, VoIP phones, and IP security cameras—making them a key factor in productivity and business ...
5. The Best 10GbE Switches for Video Editing and High-Speed NAS (2026)
   Selene Gong

   39
   In modern video production, high-speed NAS, or advanced home labs, the network—not storage—is often the bottleneck. Transferring a single 50GB 4K or 6K video file over a standard 1Gbps network can take 6–7 minutes, whereas a 10GbE network reduces the same transfer to around 40 seconds. ...
6. Powering Wi-Fi 6/7: Why UPOE+ (90W) Switches Are Essential for Enterprise Networks
   Selene Gong

   31
   As organizations adopt Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7, high-density deployments, multi-gigabit APs, and smart building IoT devices are pushing traditional PoE infrastructures to their limits. Without proper power delivery, your enterprise network risks downtime, poor coverage, and frustrated users. This ...
7. Aruba Switch Alternatives: Cisco, Juniper, Huawei Options
   Selene Gong

   36
   When organizations evaluate enterprise network switches, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) Aruba often appears as a strong candidate due to its cloud-managed approach and integrated ecosystem through Aruba Central. However, in real-world deployments, selecting a switching platform is rarely ...
8. Enterprise Switch Password Recovery: Cisco vs Aruba vs Juniper (Field Guide)
   Selene Gong

   31
   For IT administrators and network engineers, losing the administrator password to a core enterprise switch is a high-stress scenario. Locked out of production switches can prevent deploying critical security patches, managing VLANs, or troubleshooting outages. A rushed or incorrect recovery can ...
9. How to Find a Switch Serial Number Without Console or Physical Access
   Selene Gong

   30
   Managing switches across remote offices, data centers, or overseas sites can be challenging for Network Administrators and IT Managers. When urgent RMA, warranty claims, or software license renewals are required, obtaining the exact device serial number is mandatory. Without console or physical ...
10. Cheap Alternatives to Cisco Switches for SMB: A Complete Guide
    Selene Gong

    36
    For Small and Medium-sized Businesses (SMBs), building a reliable and cost-effective network is essential to maintain daily operations. However, SMBs often face a tough challenge: they need robust networking features while keeping costs low. High Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and complex Cisco ...